the Iron Fey: Ash's daughter
by Jess168
Summary: The Iron Knight leaves us to speculate about Ash and Meghan's future. This is about their future, and they're daughter, Lydia. WARNING! There are a lot of spoilers in here. If you don't plan on reading the books, or you have read them, go ahead and read this, but if you're currently reading it, wait till you're done or I'll ruin the ending!
1. Prologue

Prologue

_At the end of the Iron Knight, we are left with Ash and Meghan reunited, but their future remains uncertain. This is the story I am telling..._

Just as in the fabricated future shown to Ash by the Guardian, they did have a son named Kierran. They also had a daughter, named Lydia. They discovered that, like Meghan, Ash only aged if he left the Nevernever. Because of Ariella's sacrifice, Ash could still use glamor as he could as a fey, and his daughter, Lydia, inherited his power over the elements of Winter. Kierran and Lydia were close, despite the fact that Kierran was five years older. Though, like all brothers, he could be annoying at times, he was very protective and supportive of Lydia, and she had always looked up to her brother.

Puck eventually settled down, marrying a pretty Seelie fey named Terisha. His ties to Oberon were severed, and he was no longer welcome in Arcadia, but he didn't care. He settled in a small chunk of the Wyldwood near the Iron border, where he built a home. Him and Ash eventually began considering each other friends again, though the bantering would never end. Puck and Terisha had a daughter around the same time Lydia was born, named Meralyn. Lydia and Meralyn were best friends ever sense they met, though they tended to take after their fathers; though close, they often argued.

Lydia had a bad habit of exploring places where she wasn't allowed to go, which got her into a lot of trouble. Still she never listened, and time and time again, Meghan or Ash or even sometimes Kierran or Glitch would have to come running to her aid. When she was ten, she stumbled across a trod which opened up to the mortal world. Curious, she had opened the trod, and caught her first glimpse of the mortal world. She explored around, fascinated with how she could hide completely from the mortals here. Her mother had taught her about this world, but she still knew little about it. Without realizing the danger, she walked out on to a busy street and was struck by a car. She woke up two days later in a mortal hospital, with no memory of her past. The only thing she could remember was her name.

Ash and Meghan searched the mortal world and the Nevernever for their daughter, but they never found her. Unknown to them, Lydia was eventually placed in foster care, and spent the next five years living as a mortal. This, is where are story begins...


	2. Chapter 1 My past and a boy named Robbie

Chapter 1:

My past, and a boy named Robbie

I looked around the room, trying to find a single familiar face. Sighing, I realized once again, I was to be the loner at the back of the room; none of my friends had this class with me. _What did I expect? _I thought as I slipped into an empty desk near the front. I sat my backpack down next to me and took in my surroundings.

It was my first period of day one, my sophomore year in high school, and so far, it sucked. My foster-mother, Andrea, had demanded that I take as many honors classes as I could, which I wasn't looking forward to. I sat in Algebra 10 honors. I knew the moment I had signed up for this class I would hate it. Math was not my strongest subject, but Andrea had insisted, and now my lack of friends meant I was on my own.

I survived through first period, but the first day was always easy; I knew my end would come later when the class actually began. My next period, honors English, left me with a similar problem, but at least I had some friends in that class, and I'm a lot better at english than I am math. When lunch finally rolled around, saving me from more annoying classes, I met up with my friend, Kim. She was a junior and had her license, and we had planned all summer long to go to this nearby restaurant for lunch; that is, as often as our allowances would let us. As we walked out to Kim's car, I complained about my classes. "Why does Andrea have to be so stubborn? I'm never going to pass honors math," I moaned.

"Yeah you will. I'll help you," Kim encouraged.

"I'm going to need all the help I can get. I wished there was something to prevent me from being able to take the class, like an entrance exam. Then Andrea would just have to deal with me being in the regular class," I replied.

"You might have passed the test! You're not as dumb as you think you are," Kim said sternly. She was always going on about how I undervalued myself, claiming that I was better than I gave myself credit for. No matter how many times she told me, I never agreed. I was no genius like she liked to make me out to be, and I knew it.

"I seriously doubt it." I sighed. "I just wished I didn't have to be stuck with Andrea. Why does she think I need to take all of these honors classes anyway? I'm not even her kid, why does it matter so much?"

"At least she took you in. She wasn't going to, remember?" Kim pointed out. "You would still be jumping from house to house, and you would never have met me."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful Andrea adopted me... but sometimes, I wish for a normal family, like you have, with parents that love me. Andrea doesn't love me, she just feels bad for me. That's why she took me in," I muttered. Once again, questions about my past arouse. They plagued me often. I had no clue who my parents were. I didn't even know much about my past; my memories start when I was ten. Before that, everything is just a blur. Every now and then I saw glimpses of faces I must have known in dreams, but soon after I woke up, they would fade. The doctors tell me I lost my memory because of an accident that I don't remember, and they told me those memories would never return.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, okay? I can tell it's upsetting you," Kim said softly, looking concerned. I nodded. Kim understood just how much my lack of a past bothered me, and she had often redirected conversations like this to prevent me from breaking down at school. Other times, when my public appearance didn't matter, she let me pour my heart out to her. She was the only person I could talk to; Andrea didn't care, neither did the rest of my adoptive family, and my other friends just didn't understand. _Thanks Kim,_ I thought, feeling once again grateful for my best friend.

We continued to her car, and then drove to the restaurant. We sat in our favorite spot; a corner booth with a big window, close enough to the kitchen so we caught glimpses of the inside every now and then. Knowing we didn't have much time before we had to head back to school, I ordered a milkshake and fries, while Kim got a salad. That's when he walked by. Kim and I both noticed him as he walked in; he looked to be in his late teens, early twenties, with wild, spiky red hair, bright green eyes, and a handsome face. He was tall, built like a runner, and obviously strong. He walked past our bench carrying a tray of food. He glanced at us, and then looked away. Suddenly her turned back, staring right at me, a look of recognition in his eyes, before turning to leave, his food now wrapped in a bag. He left the tray on a table near ours, and disappeared out the door. "Did you see that?" I asked Kim.

"How could I miss it? He seemed to know you. Does he look familiar?" Kim replied. As I shook my head no, I realized I did recognize him. I couldn't remember where I'd seen him before, but I definitely knew his face.

"Huh... maybe he thought you were somebody else," Kim guessed. I nodded, even though I didn't really agree. The guy had clearly recognized me, and I couldn't ignore the feeling of recognition I had when I saw him. What if this guy was connected to my past somehow?

* * *

Three days later, he showed up at school. Kim noticed him walking into the school around the same time as us and pointed him out. I avoided him, but part of me was curious as to why he had reacted the way he had when he saw me.

Later that day, I walked out of the Cafeteria carrying a tray of gross school food and looked around the tables. I spotted Kim and headed in her direction. When I reached the table, I let the tray drop to the table with a clang. "Look at this!" I exclaimed, plopping down in my seat. I poked at the school's attempt at Spaghetti with my fork, not wanting to eat it at all. It was slimy looking, with whole wheat noodles slathered in tomato sauce. It didn't even have meat, just sauce and noodles. "Do they seriously expect me to eat it?"

Kim laughed, "Yeah, I guess they do." She brought home lunch every day, that lucky snot, while I was stuck with the school's attempt at food. Andrea was to cheep to send me with a lunch, even though I'm sure she gave Josh, my foster-brother, a lunch.

Just then I noticed we weren't alone. Sitting across from me was the same red-head kid from the Restaurant. I glanced at Kim, wondering what he was doing sitting with us; it was always just the two of us. "Oh, Lydia, this is Robbie. He just moved here. We have first period together, and he asked me to show him around. We also have lunch together," Kim said, introducing me to him.

I smiled and said, "Hey," the typical formal greeting of a typical teenager. He nodded with a small smile. I wanted to ask him about what had happened in the restaurant, but decided against it, figuring it would be a little awkward. I nibbled at my lunch, too hungry to just through it away. I avoided conversation, especially when Kim and Robbie talked. Too many questions swirled in my head, all of them involving him.

I felt his gaze on me, and I glanced up, and our eyes met. His green eyes still held that hint of recognition, and a bit of curiosity. He smiled, and then said, "So, Lydia, tell me about yourself. Kim tells me you're living in a foster home?" I glanced at Kim, surprised she had said anything. She shrugged and gave me a weak smile.

I turned back to Robbie. "They've actually adopted me now," I told him, trying to not sound too irritated.

He nodded. "I only ask because I've been there before. That's the only reason why I moved here," he told me. I nodded. _Maybe that's how I know him. I could have seen him somewhere in one of the many places I've briefly called home,_ I thought.

After that lunch, the three of us began to hang out a lot more. As I came to know Robbie, I got over the event at the restaurant, and we actually became good friends. I learned that he had a ridiculous sense of humor, and no matter how hard I tried not to, he could always get me to laugh at the stupidest things. He became the only person besides Kim that I could talk to. Still, I kept catching him watching me with that look on his face; a hint of recognition, and a bit of curiosity. I never mentioned it to him though, figuring if it was something important, he would tell me.

* * *

The next day I had PE third. I already had that class with Kim, and after comparing my schedule with Robbie's I discovered he was in the same class. Walking into the gym, I spotted Robbie at the same time he saw me. He waved me over. "Hi," I said happily as I walked up to him.

"Hey," he replied. "Like gym much?"

"Yeah, I love gym, actually. Most kids seem to hate it," I replied. He nodded. Just then, Kim walked in. She saw us and walked over. The teacher showed up then, and began the class. Today we were playing basketball. I loved basketball, but I hadn't played it much. We were put into groups of four. Me, Robbie, Kim, and another guy were put into a group. Kim and Robbie decided to be on a team, so I was with the other guy. He didn't play much, but I was fine with it.

The game started out as a usual PE Game; nobody tried to hard, and we didn't really keep score. Eventually though, it became more competitive as Robbie decided to make a bet out of it; whoever won got to by the other team ice cream at lunch. Though my teammate didn't want any part in it, I was determined to win. Robbie kept taunting me, being his typical self. As the game progressed, it slowly became more of a one on one match between me and Robbie. I discovered that he was real fast, but somehow I managed to keep up with him. Though I had only played basketball a couple of times, I played as if I had played the sport all my life. Eventually, Robbie won, but I was close.

Afterwards, as the class broke up to head to the lockers to change, Kim came up and said, "When did you learn to play like that?"

I shrugged. "I was just playing," I told her.

"I couldn't keep up with you two, that's why I stopped playing. You're good! I've never seen anyone move the way you and Robbie did. It was cool," she complimented.

I smiled blushing a little. "Thanks Kim. I really was just playing."

After we changed and went back in the gym to wait for the bell to ring, Robbie joined us again. "You're really good Lydia," he said, repeating Kim's comment from earlier. "Do you play a lot?"

"No, I don't. Thanks though," I replied.

"Really? You play like a professional," Robbie told me.

"Well what about you? Do you play a lot? You beat me," I pointed out.

"Nah, I don't play much, but I do like basketball," he told me.

Just then the bell rang, and me and Kim headed out of the gym. I glanced back at Robbie, wondering why he wasn't coming, and noticed he looked lost in thought. "Hey, you coming?" I called. He looked up, the contemplative look disappearing, and followed us.

* * *

_Robin Goodfellow waited in the dark glen near the border of the Iron Kingdom. He leaned against a tree, growing impatient with every passing moment. __When he had spotted Lydia at the restaurant, he had recognized Ash's daughter immediately; she had the same dark hair and pale grey eyes, but with the gentler features of her mother. He had decided to pose as a mortal as he had once done many years ago with Meghan. He had quickly realized she remembered nothing of her past, but was indeed Lydia, daughter of his two best friends and princess of the Iron realm, not the mortal girl she thought she was. He had then decided he needed to tell Ash._

_Finally, a dark figure stepped out of the trees and moved to stand in front of Puck. "You should know I left a very important meeting for this, Goodfellow. I hope this is as important as you said it is," Ash said as he walked up to him. He immediately noticed how serious Puck looked, and his irritated expression was replaced by one of curiosity. _

_Puck met Ash's gaze, debating how to break the news to his friend. "What if I told you I found you're daughter?" he said after a moment._

_"Lydia?" Ash asked, paling. "Where is she?" Puck knew just how much Ash missed his daughter. They all did.  
_

_"She's been living as a mortal for the past five years," Puck replied._

_"Why didn't you bring her home?" Ash asked, sounding a bit angry._

_"I couldn't," Puck replied, sighing. _

_"Why not?" Ash demanded._

_"She has no clue who she is."_


	3. Chapter 2: The Truth

Chapter 2:

The Truth

Life continued like normal. Kim, Robbie, and I continued to push through high school, already looking forward to the summer even though the school year had just started. PE became my favorite class as I quickly learned I was good at almost every sport. I also learned that I can be very competitive, and playing against Robbie became very entertaining. Kim tried to keep up, but just couldn't, even though she was athletic and pretty good at most sports. As it grew colder, girl's basketball started, and the coach suggested I join the team. I tried out, and made it by a long shot. After that, me and Robbie would practice at my house. Kim was there sometimes, playing referee. When she wasn't there, I'm sure me and Robbie broke every rule there was in the book to try to beat each other. Life was good.

Until Robbie disappeared.

It was only for a few days. He didn't show up at school, and having no way to contact him, me and Kim had to wait until he came back. That was the first time I noticed that I had never been to Robbie's house, never called him, nothing. I didn't even know if he owned a cell phone. After a couple of days, he had come back, claiming he had been sick, but I noticed after his disappearance, he wasn't the same. He was still sarcastic, but I noticed his jokes were a little less frequent, and I caught him frowning a couple of times.

One day, after school, we were at my house playing basketball again. That time it was only me and Robbie; Kim had a paper she needed to write and wasn't able to come. After the game, Robbie stood bouncing the ball back and forth between his hands for a moment. "That was a great game," I said, smiling. I had won.

"That last shot I'm sure doesn't count. You went out-of-bounds when you shot," Robbie said. He always claimed I cheated when I won.

"You've done that a million times yourself. I just think someone's a sore looser," I joked, smirking.

He laughed, and then became serious, which was weird for him. "Lydia, could we talk a moment?" he said. It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn he seemed nervous. I had never seen him nervous before.

"Sure, what about?" I said, keeping my tone light, even though I was a bit worried. Robbie wasn't acting like himself, and I couldn't help but wonder what was bothering him.

He bounced the ball again, and then threw it in to the open garage. "Could we go inside? This might take a while. There's a lot I need to tell you." I nodded, and led the way inside. Andrea wasn't home, and neither was Josh, so we had the house to our selves.

I sat down on the couch, nestling down into the soft cushions. "What's up?" I asked, trying to remain optimistic, but Robbie was clearly not himself. _This can't be good,_ I thought.

He sighed, and stayed quiet for a long time. "I may have some answers about your past, but it's not going to be easy for you to hear," he told me.

I frowned, totally confused. "What do you mean? How would you know anything about my past?"

"I know you're parents..." he replied softly.

"What?! Who are they? Where are they? Robbie, what's going on?" I demanded.

"Puck," was all he said.

"What?" he had lost me at this point. What the heck was puck supposed to mean?

"My name is actually Robin. I've just been going by Robbie. Puck is what most fey call me. This ringing any bells at all?" he asked.

I paled. _Robin..._ I did know that name. It made sense now why I had recognized Robbie when I had seen him first. I had seen him before, but then I didn't know him as Robbie. I shook my head, not understanding these fractured memories. "It brings back something... I know that name. I knew you at one point, didn't I?" I asked tentatively.

He smiled. "Yup. Our families have always been close. It's good that this is at least sounding familiar to you... we may be able to get you to remember what you forgot."

I nodded slowly, still confused, but now intrigued. "Where are my parents?" I asked again.

"Home. It's time you returned home as well."

* * *

After leaving a message on Kim's phone saying that I was having problems with my foster home and may not be around for a while, I allowed Robbie- Robin, to lead me to a door in the back of a theater nearby. I knew that the theater was used often for plays and music concerts, and during the summer I had gone to many with Kim.

Puck pushed the door open. Through the doorway I could see a dark forest. The trees rose way above my head, and the trunks as wide as a small car. The ground was covered in mist, and I couldn't see the sky through canopy of trees, giving the forest an eerie feeling. Puck stepped through the door, and I followed slowly. I was awed by the forest's vast size, but there was something oddly familiar about it. What surprised me the most was the feeling that came to me then- I could sense the life around me in a way that was indescribable. Staring up at the canopy above me, I turned to Puck. "Where are we?" I asked.

"This is the Wyldwood... I hoped you would have recognized it," he replied.

"It seems familiar..." I muttered. Just then, I was seized by a headache like none other, and images began flashing through my mind.

_Me, around eight or ten, on a horse. Two men rode next to me, one slightly younger than the other. I couldn't see their faces, but I knew they were important. My younger self looked around the woods, clearly fascinated, much like my current self gaped at the forest seconds before_

...

_Puck stood a few feet off, with a girl about eight, who had the same red hair, but her eyes were brown, not green. When she saw me, she waved. I glanced back at the person behind me. I knew they nodded, but I couldn't see their face. I ran forward, heading to the girl, clearly happy to see her._

...

I flashed back to the present, my head reeling. I had fallen and curled around my knees, shaking violently. "You okay?" Puck asked, crouching next to me.

"Puck... I've been here before. I remember... I was here with you, and a girl, and two men..." I whispered.

He grinned. "It's coming back to you, isn't it?"

I nodded. "You're actually a lot older than me, aren't you?" I asked.

"By several decades," he said, and then laughed at my surprised expression. "Fey don't age like humans do," he added.

"Fey?" I asked. I realized that wasn't the only time he had mentioned that word.

"That's what we are, Lydia," he explained, but this only confused me more.

"You're saying I'm not even human?" I asked.

"Yup. You are mostly human, because of your parents, but you're still fey," he replied. I nodded, trying to take this in. What being fey meant, I wasn't sure yet, but I figured over time it would come to me.

I looked up to him, about to ask him something else, but the question slipped my mind when I noticed he looked different. I stared at him a minute, trying to figure out what was different, before it dawned on me. _His ears are pointed, _I realized with a shock. "Puck... do fey look different than humans?" I ventured.

"Ah, so you noticed. You're right again!" He replied with a grin.

I thought about this for a moment. "If you look different because you're fey... and I'm fey... then... that means..." I muttered, realizing just what this meant. I reached up to brush my hand against my ear, and sure enough, my ears now ended in a point as well.

Clearly, as I realized this, my expression must have been funny because Puck burst out laughing. "There was once a point in your life where you thought round ears would be weird. You'll get used to them," he said between laughs.

"This is all so weird... I'm freaking out just a bit," I told him.

His smile softened. "I knew you would be. It'll get better, I promise. I can't wait till you see your family again."

"Tell me about them," I requested.

"I think it would be better to wait and see if more of you're memory returns," he told me. I frowned, and he smirked. "Plus it's much more fun to make you wait. I will tell you this; they've missed you so much. Let's keep moving, so we can get you home."

Puck helped me stand, and then he began walking into the woods. I followed. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"Somewhere else you've been before. There's someone there that I'm sure would be very happy to see you," he replied. I followed him deeper into the Wyldwood. I would have quickly gotten lost if it weren't for him. He seemed to know exactly where he was, though the woods looked all the same to me. How he kept his bearings, I don't know.

After a while, he paused, and motioned for me to be quiet. I heard some rustling in the bushes, but it faded and we continued. "What was that?" I asked, whispering just in case it still wasn't safe to talk.

"There's a reason the Wyldwood is named what it is. It's crazy here, and dangerous," he explained. I shivered as more memories came back to me. I swore I had heard someone else tell me that exact same thing before. I must have asked that question before.

We continued through the forest, pausing a couple more times. During one of those pauses, Puck had gestured for me to hide behind the nearest tree, while he pulled out two matching daggers. I crouched behind the tree, listening to the forest around me. It had become strangely quiet around us, and for a moment, I held my breath, wondering what was happening. After a moment, the forest seemed to return to normal. "Okay Lydia, it's alright." I stepped out from behind the tree, and walked up to Puck. "Let's get going, before whatever that was comes back."

"What was it?" I asked.

"I don't know...There was definitely something here but I couldn't tell what... It was like a shadow. It's been following us, and it got very close, but then it just disappeared altogether." Puck muttered, looking around. I noticed he still held the two daggers in his hand. Looking at them, another memory came to mind.

_Puck stood in front of me. This had to be a more recent memory; I looked almost exactly like I did when I woke up at the hospital, besides the pointed ears. Puck held out a dagger to me, hilt first and said, "Here, take it. You're father doesn't think you're ready for a sword, but if you're going to be traveling back and forth between the Iron Court and here, you need something to protect yourself." I nodded, taking the dagger. It was similar to the ones Puck carried all the time. He then handed me a sheath with a belt attached to it. "Next time you're over, if you're father will permit it, I'll show you how to sharpen it," he added._

When the flashback ended, I was still staring at the dagger in Puck's hand, and he was looking at me interestingly. Flipping one over in his hand so the hilt pointed towards me, he handed it towards me. I took it gingerly. It was very similar to the one he had given me in the flashback. It fit in my hand nicely, and felt oddly familiar. "You gave me a dagger, not long ago, like this one," I stated.

He nodded. "You're father found it in you're room not long after you disappeared. He still has it, though now he will probably want to teach you to use a sword; you're definitely old enough now." I handed him the dagger back, instinctively flipping it over and letting it rest in my hand so he could easily grab the hilt. He turned, and we continued through the wood.

After some time, we came to a gentle slope that led down to a small house in a clearing in the trees. Puck lead me down to the house. I recognized it as we got closer; this was his place. Part of me knew I had come here often when I was younger, but I couldn't remember any of those times. We walked down to the house, and Puck let us in. "Terisha? I'm home!" He called.

A woman about his age with the pointed ears of the fey and long brown hair that matched her brown eyes walked into the room. She smiled at Puck, coming closer, but then her eyes strayed from him to me, and she stopped dead in her tracks. "Puck... you found her?" she asked quietly.

"Yup," he said with a smile. "She doesn't remember much though; apparently she suffers from amnesia, but it's coming back."

Terisha nodded. "Does she... remember me?" she asked. Puck turned to look at me, wondering himself.

I thought about it. I remembered the house, and coming here to visit Puck. I remembered there was someone else here I'd come to visit, but I couldn't remember who. I stared at Terisha, trying to remember, when it came to me. This was Puck's wife. I remembered she used to bake for me when I came home, and she used to tell me stories about Arcadia... wherever that was. I'd have to ask Puck sometime. "Yeah, I remember you," I told her with a smile. She smiled back, and then came and gave me a hug. "We've missed you Lydia... it's been too long. Arielle will be happy to see you."

I knew that name immediately; it was the name of the red haired girl I had seen with Puck in many of the flashbacks. Memories of me playing with her as a child, of her and I getting ourselves into trouble because we were bored, and how we used to argue for fun as if we hated each other came rushing back. Suddenly I ached to see her, and I nodded. "I would love to see her too," I told Terisha. She disappeared down a hall for a moment, and I turned to Puck. "Puck, where's Arcadia?" I asked him.

"That's a place you don't want to go anytime soon. Full of nothing but a bunch of faeries that are all way too full of themselves," he replied. I stared at him, making it clear I wanted to know more. "It's not far from here, but seriously, I don't think you want to go there. Being Iron Fey, you wouldn't be to welcome."

"Iron fey?" I asked, looking confused once again.

"Yeah, the people of the third kingdom of the Nevernever... though I bet Oberon would consider you Unseelie, just because you look so much like you're father," he glanced over my shoulder, and then said, "I'll finish you're history lesson later."

I turned to see what he was looking at. Terisha had just walked out of the hall. "Arielle will be here in a minute," she told me. I nodded.

A few seconds later, A red haired teenage girl with brown eyes came running down the hall, looking excited and scared at the same time. She stared at me for a minute as if I wasn't real. I smiled, waiving slightly. She walked up to me, and punched me lightly on the arm. "Where have you been all these years, idiot?" she growled, but I knew she was just joking. This felt so familiar, and I was overwhelmed by nostalgia. Finally, it sunk in. _this is where I belong,_ I thought with a smile.

"Thought I'd meet some new people. You weren't good enough anymore; I needed new friends," I told her. I didn't mean a single bit of it, but I couldn't help but slip into our old rhythm.

"Jerk," she replied. Suddenly tears welled up in her brown eyes and she hugged me. "I missed you so much." I hugged her back, feeling for once that I belonged. When she pulled away, she laughed, "When mom told me you were back, I thought I was dreaming."

"I still feel like I'm dreaming. I don't remember much, but I definitely remember you guys. It's coming back to me, bit by bit," I told her.

She smirked. "Let me see if I can remind you," she said, before whacking me on top of the head, just hard enough to hurt a bit.

I winced as if she had actually hurt me, and then said, "I remember that." We both laughed.

She then pulled me towards the back of the house. "You have to tell me what happened." She pulled me to a bedroom that was all too familiar to me. A few things had changed, but I knew this was her room. I used to stay in here with her when my family would come to visit and it was too late to return home.

We sat on the bed, and I proceeded to tell her all that had happened to me over the last few years. She told me everything that had happened to her, mentioning a little bit how she had rode for hours with her parents and mine searching one chunk of the Nevernever after another. Mention of my parents made me frown. "You okay?" Arielle asked, frowning.

"I don't remember my parents, Ari. I know my mother was a very powerful person, and my dad traveled with me a lot, but I can't remember their names, or what they look like, or anything," I told her sadly.

"Well, that won't last for much longer; they're coming to visit tomorrow," she informed me. I immediately brightened.

Sense being reintroduced to Puck's family, I couldn't help but miss my parents. I wanted to know them again, to know that I belonged with a family that loved me. "It'll be good to see them again," I whispered.

"I can only imagine it will, princess," Ari replied.

"Princess?" I asked, looking confused. I remembered Ari calling me that before, but I couldn't remember why.

"You don't remember?" Ari asked with a small smirk. When I shook my head she exclaimed, "Aw, I shouldn't have mentioned anything! Don't you remember all those times you used to use you're royal status against me?" she laughed.

"I don't..." I muttered, thinking.

"Well, I'd be perfectly fine if that memory never came back to you," she said.

I punched her arm, lightly, just as I know knew I had many times before. "Jerk."

"That's me!" she replied, laughing. I tried to act angry, but ended up just laughing.

Later that night, Terisha helped me set up a bed on the floor of Arielle's room, and no matter how much I wanted to stay up and continue to reminisce with the three, I eventually grew tired. I fell asleep with the thought that I'd get to meet my parents again today playing in my mind. I dreamed of moments in my past. There were still many blanks, but some of them were crystal clear, especially times with Arielle.

* * *

_Ash sat near the fire of their campsite, his mind wandering as he stared into the heart of the flames. Meghan came to sit next to him, curling up closely. He wrapped an arm around her, grateful for her company."What are you thinking of?" she asked him._

_He sighed. "Puck tells me Lydia doesn't remember anything. What if she never does? What if she can't remember us, Meghan?" he said. He had told Meghan everything Puck had told him.  
_

_Meghan remained silent at his side for a moment. "I don't know what we'll do, Ash. Telling her might help her remember, but if she doesn't know us, will she still love us?" _

_"Maybe eventually she will. I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Ash said. They fell silent for a moment. _

_"Puck said he would bring her for tomorrow, right?" Meghan asked. _

_"Yes, but this is Goodfellow we're talking about; I wouldn't be too surprised if it doesn't happen," Ash replied. _

_Meghan laughed. "After all these years, you still can't trust him to do anything right, can he?" _

_"I've known Robin Goodfellow for many decades now. He doesn't know how to do anything right except for cause trouble," he told her, smiling slightly._

_"I think he'll get this right. He misses her too, you know. His whole family does." Ash nodded. Meghan sighed next to her. "I can't wait to see her again, Ash. It's been too long."_

_He nodded in agreement. "Our family will finally be whole again."_


	4. Chapter 3: My Family

Chapter 3

My Parents

As the sun broke over the horizon, it poured in through the window above me, its lack of curtains allowing the sun free access to the room. I sighed, content to just lay in the patch of sun and doze, buried deep in the blankets... until I remembered. My eyes flew open and I sat up, wondering what time it was. I noticed Arielle's bed was unoccupied. I stood and looked around, wishing for a change of clothes. Just then I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I called, and Arielle walked in.

"Hey idiot, do you plan to sleep all day?" she asked, shaking her head at me disapprovingly as she frowned, he hands on her hips.

"Sure, I'm just going to sleep through my chance of being reunited with my parents after five years," I deadpanned, and then we both laughed. "How late is it?" I asked.

"Not too late. Now, let's get you looking more presentable," Arielle suggested. I nodded in agreement. "Some of my clothes should fit you." She walked over to a large, hand carved wooden wardrobe and pulled open the drawers. She pulled a nice navy blue long-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark levis. She threw them at me, saying, "See if those fit. You can use the tub if you want to, it's in that room," She gestured to the door, then left, allowing me to change. I walked into the other room, finding a tub filled with hot water waiting for me; clearly someone had planned ahead and filled it for me.

I pulled off my clothes from the day before, which were now horribly wrinkled because I had slept in them, and slipped gratefully into the warm water. I found a home made bar of soap that smelt of lavender and a bottle of shampoo. I stayed in the water until it started to cool and then climbed out and toweled dry. I pulled on the blouse. It was made of a soft material, and fit me well enough, though the sleeves were a bit long. They covered my hands mostly, but I didn't mind.

To fit in the pants I needed a belt, and because Arielle was slightly taller than me, I kept stepping on the ends, but they fit well enough. Arielle found me a belt, and then I pulled my tennis shoes on. "Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry. Dad tells me your parents should be here by noon, maybe a bit later, depending on how fast they travel." I nodded. She left again, and I found a brush. I ran it through my long black hair, and then pulled it back into a tight braid. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I wondered if my parents looked like me. I shook my head, realizing I had spaced off. Tying off the braid, I headed down the hall.

Immediately I was struck by the aroma of food wafting in from the kitchen and smiled. Terisha was in the kitchen working on breakfast when we walked in. When she saw me, she smiled and said, "Good morning Lydia. Did you sleep well?" She walked over to the table, carrying a tray.

"Yeah, I slept wonderfully," I replied, moving towards the table, my empty stomach complaining louder when I breathed in the warm, sweet aroma of the food in the pan. I couldn't see what was on the tray from where I was standing, but it definitely smelt good.

"The idiot would have slept all day, if I didn't notice how late it was and woke her up," Arielle said with a smirk as she came up next to me. I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything. _Typical Arielle, _I thought with a small smile.

"I fixed one of Lydia's favorites," Terisha told us as she set the tray down and backed away to let us see it. The tray held small rolls covered in nuts, small apple slices, and a thick, creamy sauce. With the tray there was a pot of oatmeal, freshly made. There was sugar for the oatmeal, and a pitcher of orange juice. I could just vaguely remember standing by this table and looking at the same layout of food, giving me an overwhelming sense of de-ja-vu.

Puck came in carrying several bowls and set them on the table. "Are you going to stand there gawking at it, or are you going to eat?" he asked, grinning playfully. "I, on the other hand am not going to pass up Terisha's cooking. She never fixes anything like this for me anymore."

"I do to!" I heard Terisha call from the kitchen. Puck shook his head dramatically, and Arielle and I laughed.

I turned to the food, trying to decide what one of the rolls I wanted. Arielle slipped past me, grabbing the largest bun off the tray, and then grabbed a bowl, filling it to the brim with oatmeal. I followed suit. "Hey, I wanted that one!" I complained, reaching halfheartedly after it.

She smirked, and then took a dramatic bite out of it. "Snooze you loose!" she said around the mouthful. I pretended to pout for a brief moment before grabbing myself a bun. I grabbed a bowl too, filling it full with oatmeal, before claiming a seat at the table. It didn't take me long to eat more than my share. When I wasn't able to eat another bite, I leaned back, sighing happily. "Haven't had food like that for a while," I muttered.

"Yeah, you've been stuck with mortal food. How did you survive?" Arielle said. She shuddered in mock horror, and then gave me a pitying look.

"I didn't know what I was missing, until now," I replied. It was true; for the last five years I had managed to forget how great of a cook Terisha was.

"There's actually some mortal foods that I wished we had here," Puck pointed out as he finished up his oatmeal. I was pretty sure that was his third bowl. "Which, Lydia should be grateful for. If it weren't for that restaurant's hamburgers, I doubt I would have stopped in that dinky town long enough to see her there, and then she'd still be stuck eating mortal food."

"Why were you there, anyway? Did you seriously leave here, trek through the forest, and travel into the mortal world for a hamburger?" I asked him.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I did," he joked. After a moment, he became serious, staring at his empty bowl. "After you disappeared, I couldn't get myself to stay put for long. After we found the open trod, I knew you were somewhere in the human world, so I kept going back, hoping one day I would find you, as I did."

We fell silent with that comment, until Terisha walked in. "Who wants to help me clean up?" she asked.

Suddenly Arielle looked like she had just remembered something important. "Right, sorry mom, I forgot I promised Lydia we could go riding after breakfast. She's worried she's forgotten how," she glanced at me, her expression making it clear that she expected me to play along.

"Uh huh," I confirmed with a smile. I wanted to laugh, but kept it hidden. This wasn't the first time Arielle and I had shirked our chores or avoided being handed a job by coming up with a last minute story like this.

Terisha eyed us both, her suspicion clear in her pretty brown eyes. After a while, she sighed and said, "Fine, I guess Puck will have to help me." She turned her gaze on Puck to find nothing but a black feather laying on the table. Arielle laughed, and I joined in. Terisha walked back into the kitchen. I caught her rolling her eyes as she turned and walked out. "If you see him, don't let him out of the house," she called over her should. She then proceeded to search the house, but knowing Puck, he was probably long gone by now.

"We might as well actually go riding," Arielle said, keeping her voice low so Terisha wouldn't overhear. I nodded, and then followed her out the back door. A wooden barn stood behind the house with a paddock. It was big enough for five or six horses. Currently, two grazed peacefully, they're long, graceful necks reaching for the grass. They seemed to float a couple inches off the ground, a characteristic I remembered most Fey horses shared.

Arielle walked up to the fence and grabbed a lead rope that hung from the side of the barn and whistled. The horses lifted their heads to stare intently at Arielle and I, before a handsome gray horse with a dark main and tail finally trotted up to the fence and allowed Arielle to gently stroke it's nose. "Do you remember him?" she asked, glancing at me as she continued to stroke the horse.

I thought about it for a moment. "Yeah... he's your horse... you always rode him when we went out together." She nodded. I smiled, happy that I could remember. Now that most of my memories of Arielle and her family were back, I couldn't wait to meet my parents and fill in the rest of my past.

Together we saddled the two horses, and then Arielle climbed on the grey stallion's back. He stomped impatiently, clearly excited to get out of the pasture. I mounted my white mare, who moved up close to Arielle's mount, clearly just as excited to leave. I was a bit nervous; my memories were telling me I had done this before, but my body couldn't remember how, but as Arielle leaned forward to open the gate, allowing her horse to slip into a nice trot, I instinctively knew what to do to get my mare to follow. Eventually, as we got deeper into the forest, Arielle picked up the pace, and I followed. As the wind whipped my hair back, I smiled, remembering just how much I loved riding through the forest, Arielle at my side, the feel of the strong horse underneath me as it's hooves glided over the ground. Though misty and dark as always, the Wyldwood didn't seem as gloomy as I rode through it, weaving through the trees, Arielle never too far ahead.

We didn't go too far, knowing that we were still in the Wyldwood, and despite how peaceful it seemed now, it was still dangerous, even though the area around Arielle's house stayed pretty empty. Eventually we stopped, letting our horses rest a bit. Though we had kept them at a pretty fast pace for a good while, they had barely broken into a sweat. We tethered them to the trees, and stepped a bit away, climbing the rest of the hill we had started up. They grazed silently from the end of their ropes, content.

At the top of the hill, we looked down over the forest. It stretched on down the hill, spreading out in all directions. There were so many trees, it looked like a blanket of green with a few gaps in between. The trees on the hill weren't as tall as the rest, giving us a clear view of the surrounding forest.

In the very distance, the trees ended abruptly, hinting at the beginning of the Iron Realm, which was just a blue line on the horizon. We sat in silence, enjoying the view. Suddenly, through the trees, we noticed three riders moving towards us; they were far off still, but definitely moving this way at a good pace. "That's them!" I exclaimed.

Arielle grinned. "I bet. If we hurry, we might beat them back to the house," she told me. In answer I stood and mounted my horse, then turned to her and gave her a look like, _what you waiting for? _She joined me on her horse, and then we hurried back to the house, pushing the horses to their limit. The speed at which they ran amazed me at first, and I let out a whoop of joy.

We reached the house, and Arielle and I took care of the horses, before heading in. We found Terisha and Puck in the kitchen. Apparently he had given up avoiding his wife and had decided to help; they were working on putting the last of the dishes away from breakfast. "We saw them; they're close," Arielle informed them.

"Good," Puck said in response.

"They got here sooner than expected," Terisha added.

Puck nodded. "They're probably exited to see her," he said, his gaze on me.

"I don't blame them," Terisha said before leaving the room, claiming she had some stuff to do elsewhere. I sat down at the table, waiting impatiently for my family to arrive. I wondered what would they be like. I pestered Arielle with questions about them, but she refused to say anything. One glance at Puck, and I knew he wouldn't say anything. Terisha had disappeared, so I was forced to wait.

Eventually we moved into the front room where there were more comfortable places to sit. Puck would slip outside from time to time to see if they had arrived yet. I sat, trying to pass the time. I was in need of something to do, but not wanting to leave with them so close, I stayed quiet, trying not to act too restless. _For a place with no measure of time, it sure seems to drag on forever, _I thought, cursing how slow it seemed to go now that I was waiting for something.

Puck left again. I sighed when he came back, thinking they still weren't here yet. He surprised me when he walked in with a smile and said, "They're hear." He waved us towards the door, and I stood, heading for outside. Suddenly, I was nervous, and I paused at the door. Part of me didn't want to walk out there and confront the problem that had been plaguing me sense last night; What if my memories of them never return?

I felt a reassuring had on my shoulder, and I turned to see Arielle. Her brown eyes were filled with understanding, and she smiled. I rested my hand on hers and nodded, returning the smile. I pushed my nervousness away, determined to not let it ruin the reunion, and stepped out the door.

Before me, three jet black horses stood together. Their silky coats shone with sweat, showing that recently they had ran hard. Clearly, my family had wanted to get to me as bad as I had wanted them to come.

Next to one of the horses, a tall woman with pale blond air and blue eyes stood staring at me, one hand clutching the reins of her mount. Though she was young and pretty looking, I knew she was older than she looked, like all Fey. She carried herself with a natural grace, one that spoke of who she was.

Our eyes met and I knew her immediately. Memories of my childhood came rushing back, filling in the blank void I had dealt with over the past few years. Images of her caring for me over the years. My heart burst with happiness and my eyes filled with tears when I recognized her. This was my mother. Her name was Meghan Chase, and she was the Queen of the Iron Realm.

And I missed her, so much.

I ran to her then, and she caught me in a hug. "Oh, Lydia..." I heard her sigh. Someone took the reins from her other hand, allowing her to wrap both arms around me. She pulled back, looking me over. She smiled brightly, tears streaking her cheeks now. "You're so tall now, almost as tall as me," she said lightly.

I smiled, feeling tears streak down my cheeks as well. I could see how much she loved me, which only reminded me of how much I loved her. I wanted to say so much, and I could tell there was a lot she wanted to say too, but we both knew words didn't cut it, so we both stayed silent, smiling. She clung to my hands as if she worried if she let go I would disappear again. I was content just to stay there, absorbed her love. I remembered every little detail about her; her smile, her laugh, everything.

Just then, a voice from behind said, "It's good to have you home, Lydia." I turned, recognizing the voice. Behind me, my brother, Kierran, stood smiling at me. I remembered him too in the same exquisite detail that I remembered my mom. I remembered how his hair was the same pale blond as mom's, but it was as messy and unruly as dad's. His blue eyes were paler than mom's, but they looked like her too. I smiled at him, now absolutely beaming. He hugged me lightly, and I pulled mom towards us, gathered in a group now.

* * *

_Ash watched as his daughter ran to Meghan. She engulfed Lydia in a hug, and then pulled back. They smiled, and as they did, he noticed how their smiles matched exactly down to the littlest detail. He watched as Lydia turned towards Kierran. He watched as his son pulled her into a light hug, and then watched as Lydia pulled Meghan into the group as well. _

_Lydia then pulled away, looking around. Her gaze rested on him, and he smiled. She walked towards him. "Hello father," she said, still smiling. He wrapped her in a hug, finally feeling whole again. Meghan stood nearby, their son next to her. One thought filled his mind as he hugged his daughter;_

Finally, _he thought,_ we're whole again.


End file.
